Johnny Cueto has made all but 13 of his 261 career MLB starts in the National League.

But the 31-year-old right-hander saw enough of the American League to know he'd like to finish his career in the junior circuit.

"I sometimes feel the American League is stronger than the National League," Cueto told the San Francisco Chronicle through an interpreter. "It doesn't matter where I play. It's baseball. But I would like to finish my career in the American League."

Cueto's only previous experience in the AL came at the end of the 2015 season, when he helped pitch the Royals to a World Series win. But he told the Chronicle he'd like to return to the AL to challenge himself against teams such as the Yankees and Red Sox.

"It's just a personal preference because I played so much in the National League," Cueto said.

Cueto, who is signed with the Giants through 2021, can opt out of his contract after this season. The Chronicle stressed that his comments, made ahead of the Giants' weekend series against the Royals, had nothing to do with his contract status.